Chapter 70: Rescuing the Bullied Top Student (18)

Through the System’s narration, Tang Qi indirectly witnessed the process of the father-son reunion. Compared to Zhou Chenglong’s jubilant enthusiasm, Zhou Yi was extremely cold.

During their conversation, when Zhou Yi heard about Zhou Chenglong’s grades, his face darkened further. He stared at his own mother and retorted, “Qianqian used to rank first in the entire school.”

Old Madam Zhou had been listening with a smile, but hearing this, she instantly turned unhappy. “So what if she’s first? First means she’ll just marry out to someone else later. You intend to leave your assets to someone with a different surname? When she marries, just give her a bit more dowry to show you’ve done right by her.”

“If you dare give the family business to her, I’ll die right in front of you. I don’t care; you must recognize Chenglong as family immediately. Chenglong is brilliant. His grades are poor only because he hasn’t studied seriously. If he puts his mind to it, no one can compare to him.”

Mother Zhou sat to the side smiling and listening. The Old Madam liked Zhou Chenglong, but she wasn’t very friendly toward her.

Zhou Yi looked at Zhou Chenglong, the disgust in his eyes growing thicker. He couldn’t care less about some son. To him, the daughter his wife gave birth to was far more important.

When he heard that Zhou Chenglong had caused trouble at “Nightfall” and provoked Tang Qi in the process, he was even more incensed.

These domestic ethics dramas weren’t something Tang Qi wanted to watch. She dialed Tang Mu’s number again. This time, Tang Mu didn’t flatly refuse like last time. Instead, after a long silence, he asked, “How do you want to ally?”

Tang Qi’s lips curved. Zhou Yi’s actions and Old Madam Zhou’s behavior could never be hidden from Zhou Qian and Tang Mu. Zhou Qian was a very strong-willed woman; how could she allow what belonged to her to be taken by an illegitimate child?

“Regarding this matter, I have a plan…”

…

Luo Xun had made a meticulous study schedule for herself. Every morning she got up at five to recite vocabulary and texts, ate breakfast early, did one practice paper at school, and apart from class time, she spent all her time listening to Tang Qi explain problems.

Those days of studying passed very fulfillingly. She had long forgotten the scumbag Zhou Chenglong. It wasn’t just her—by the time the entire class had forgotten this person too, Zhou Chenglong returned to school once more.

This time when he came back, all his previous habits were gone. The gaudy, colorful designer clothes on his body were absent, replaced by a school uniform. Most crucially, he was actually listening attentively in class and studying.

Every day, he caused no trouble and went straight home after school.

Tang Qi knew the reason Zhou Chenglong came back to class: Zhou Yi believed an heir needed to be presentable, and that grades and diplomas were indispensable factors.

The Old Madam also felt this was for Zhou Chenglong’s own good and didn’t object. Thus, in the seventeenth year of his life, Zhou Chenglong seriously started studying for the first time.

He even threw down harsh words, saying that if he just studied seriously, his grades would definitely surpass everyone else’s.

Zhou Yi only laughed coldly. “I recall Tang Qi is the school’s top student! Zhou Chenglong, don’t think everything is settled just because you’re from the Zhou Family. Let me tell you, every family’s heir is exceptionally outstanding and hardworking. I will not hand the family property over to a little thug. If you don’t rank within the top five hundred in the grade on this monthly exam, you can get lost.”

The weather in Haishi grew increasingly cold. Summer was suddenly bitten hard by autumn, the temperature plummeting drastically. Everyone changed into thick autumn clothes.

No. 1 High School’s third monthly exam was also approaching after this change in weather.

Luo Xun was reading in the cafeteria. Today, the housekeeper aunt had asked for leave, so she and Tang Qi were eating lunch there. Tang Qi went to get food while she quietly looked at her mistake guidebook. Suddenly, the light was blocked by a figure before her.

She looked up. Zhou Chenglong stood before her, his expression unfriendly. Luo Xun was so frightened she shot to her feet, involuntarily stepping back several paces.

Zhou Chenglong’s expression soured further. He sneered, “Luo Xun, you don’t have to act so scared of me. Have I really done anything to you?”

In his mind, sure, he had bullied Luo Xun for a while, but she hadn’t suffered any actual, physical harm! These were all minor issues.

Luo Xun frowned tightly, clutching her book in front of her chest as a shield. Seeing her like this, Zhou Chenglong grew even more dissatisfied. “Just wait. On this monthly exam, I’ll prove to you that I’m no worse than Tang Qi!”

“Why would Little Seven compare herself to trash!” Luo Xun intensely hated Zhou Chenglong comparing himself to Tang Qi. She was fiercely protective now. Gathering her courage, she said, “No matter what, you can’t compare to Little Seven. Don’t use yourself to insult her.”

“You…” Zhou Chenglong instinctively raised his fist. Luo Xun’s face paled. She turned and ran. Zhou Chenglong’s fist was about to touch Luo Xun when a basin full of soup slammed squarely into his face.

Zhou Chenglong was staggered by the impact, his face turning pitch black from the metal basin smacking into it. Tang Qi’s voice rang out like a ghost’s whisper. “It seems you haven’t remembered your lesson.”

She stomped down on Zhou Chenglong’s leg. Zhou Chenglong howled in pain.

He forgot. How could he provoke this fiend again!

Tang Qi deliberately avoided fragile spots, striking only places that wouldn’t break easily but hurt intensely. Her punches hit flesh solidly, beating Zhou Chenglong until he wailed endlessly.

The surrounding students scattered. The teacher arrived very quickly. Seeing it was Tang Qi and Zhou Chenglong again, the teacher felt utterly exhausted. “You two again! Come with me to the office!”

Tang Qi let go of Zhou Chenglong. Luo Xun looked at Tang Qi with concern. “I’ll go with you.”

An hour later, Zhou Yi and Old Madam Zhou also arrived at the school. The Old Madam saw Zhou Chenglong, his face black and blue, and wailed, throwing herself at him. “Good Grandson! Who beat you like this?”

Tang Qi, however, greeted Zhou Yi. “Uncle Zhou.”

Zhou Yi and Tang Qi had met once before. But since his son was the one beat up, he always needed an explanation. “Tang Qi, what is the meaning of this?”

“He was bullying a classmate.” Tang Qi sneered. “I never imagined he was Uncle Zhou’s son. Before I came to No. 1 High School, he bullied female classmates at school and even ordered his lackeys to go to a girl’s house in the middle of the night to beat her.”

“This is someone from the Zhou Family. I really have to question the Zhou Family’s upbringing.” Tang Qi was merciless.

This was the first Zhou Yi had heard of this. He turned and asked Zhou Chenglong, “Is this true?”

Zhou Chenglong covered his face and lowered his head guiltily. “I just wanted to get to know Luo Xun. The method was a bit… errant. I didn’t have bad intentions.”

“You’re lying! You slandered my innocence, and you have the face to say you didn’t have bad intentions? Just now in the cafeteria, you were the first to try to hit me.” Luo Xun refuted him agitatedly. “You bullied me for two years, and you call it just a wrong method? You’re not human.”

“Oh… he also extorted protection money from middle schoolers and elementary kids!” Tang Qi continued.

Zhou Yi was furious and humiliated internally, utterly ashamed. He wished he could smack Zhou Chenglong to death. He felt Tang Qi was right; a person like Zhou Chenglong fundamentally wasn’t worthy of being part of the Zhou Family.

“You’re slandering him! Surely you seduced my grandson.” The Old Madam wasn’t having it. Pointing at Luo Xun, she cursed, “My grandson is so wonderful; he wouldn’t do the things you claim.”

“The entire school knows. You’re welcome to ask around. He forced Luo Xun to buy him breakfast without paying. Luo Xun’s family is poor; she had to collect bottles just to get by. He felt no guilt whatsoever and even treated it as entertainment.” Tang Qi ripped Zhou Chenglong’s face off. “Uncle Zhou, as a member of the Tang Family, I must question the Zhou Family’s character. I will explain this matter clearly to my grandfather. The business between our families…”

Zhou Yi’s expression stiffened. Tang Qi was destined to inherit the Tang Family, and she was already managing many of its businesses. The Zhou Family had only risen in recent decades; how could they compare to the Tang Family, a behemoth spanning centuries?

“You think Tang Jiu would listen to an outsider like you?” The Old Madam paid no attention to any of that, only distressed over her beaten grandson.

“Enough!” Zhou Yi scolded his mother. “Old Master Tang values his granddaughter immensely. Don’t speak nonsense.”

The Old Madam ground her teeth audibly. “Am I wrong? A little girl talking so outrageously.”

“You are a woman too,” Luo Xun wasn’t having it either. What gave them the right to talk about Tang Qi like that? She loudly refuted, “And he, a big, strong boy, yet got beaten like this by Tang Qi. Aren’t you people ashamed?”

“Morality, lacking. Academics, lacking. Even basic fighting ability, lacking. What is he good at?” Tang Qi pulled Luo Xun behind her, afraid the Old Madam might hurt her. “Oh, right, being shameless and relying on an old family member—that he excels at.”

Zhou Yi looked at Tang Qi seriously. “Do you have evidence for all these claims?”

“Of course I do. I’ll have someone send it to Uncle Zhou later,” Tang Qi had long been prepared.

“Tang Qi, you just saw that I’m studying seriously now and feel I’m about to surpass you, so you’re deliberately moving against me,” Zhou Chenglong suddenly blurted out.

The moment these words were spoken, not just Tang Qi and Luo Xun—even the teachers in the office watching the spectacle were stunned.

One by one, mocking expressions appeared on their faces. Tang Qi ranked first in the city, even the entire province. For Zhou Chenglong, a bottom-tier thug, to utter such preposterous words?

Zhou Chenglong’s original intent was merely to salvage some face. He never expected Tang Qi to calmly nod. “Fine, if that’s the case, why don’t we… compete in grades.”

“The third monthly exam!” She ruthlessly pressured Zhou Chenglong. “You compete against Luoluo. If Luoluo outranks you by five hundred places… no, eight hundred places… you publicly apologize and admit your wrongs to Luoluo. If she doesn’t, I apologize to you.” As long as Luo Xun defeated Zhou Chenglong, the fear in her heart would gradually lessen.

Zhou Yi’s face was grim. The Old Madam shrieked, “You’re bullying too far!”

“So you think our demands for Zhou Chenglong are too high?” Luo Xun gathered her courage. “I’ll give him a one-thousand-place handicap.”

This was truly somewhat insulting. There were over thirteen hundred students across the ten-plus twelfth-grade classes. Luo Xun was implying Zhou Chenglong couldn’t even rank above one-thousandth place.

“Scared?” Tang Qi provoked.

“What do I have to fear? I’ll take you up on that bet!” Zhou Chenglong jumped forward, thinking this bet was a guaranteed win for him. He failed to notice Zhou Yi’s disappointed gaze. If Zhou Chenglong had adjusted the terms slightly, Zhou Yi might have thought he still had hope.

But faced with a gap as huge as one thousand places, he actually accepted gleefully.

If a person like this inherited the family business, the Zhou Family would probably become everyone’s laughingstock.

“Good. The monthly exam is the day after tomorrow. We look forward to it.”

Zhou Chenglong was taken by the Old Madam to seek medical treatment. He kept crying about the pain. When they reached the hospital, the doctor said it was all superficial skin injuries. Zhou Yi was even more disappointed. A grown man crying and howling over such minor injuries.

The monthly exam passed quickly. Luo Xun’s mentality remained quite steady. After finishing the exams, Tang Qi received a call from Tang Mu, saying they had also arrived in Haishi.

Tang Qi brought Luo Xun over. Tang Mu and Zhou Qian were staying at a hotel. Seeing Tang Qi, Zhou Qian got straight to the point and asked, “Tell us, how do we cooperate?”

Tang Qi was startlingly direct. “I want Aunt to tell the family members that you agree to Zhou Chenglong becoming the heir.”